Our Red King
by ColorlessRed
Summary: OCxMikoto and OCxIzumo. Probably OCxFushimi later. Sort of a random thing I decided to write after I had a very sad dream about Mikoto. Takes place after the Anime, so there's spoilers. Rated M for frequent use of vulgar language and possible sexual content much later. Very dark chapters at the moment, bring some tissues.
1. Dream

**Disclaaaaaaaimer: Only thing I own here is my OC, Elise. Also; Requiem of Red : Yui Horie. (Not mine.)**

**Warning: Don't cry.**

**Update: Already found a few errors that I have just fixed. Also, after much thought, I've decided to continue this into a series of one-shots. I don't want to dedicate myself to writing an entire story at the moment, since I'm lacking the time to keep up on writing consistent and satisfying chapters. So for now, I'll continue with some little teasers of what's yet to come.**

**As for the very first guest review I've received; thank you so much for reading! I'm glad you enjoyed it. I really did want to write a fic revolving around Mikoto, but I also _really_ wanted to deviate from the story as little as possible while continuing it from the end of the anime. I think I just stuck Izumo in there to make it less depressing for me as I was writing, hahaha. Writing it was a pretty depressing experience. **

**Anyway, next chapter hopefully coming soon! I'm already scrambling to write down my ideas...**

* * *

_This place…_

My head lifted lazily from my folded arms, feeling slowly flooding to various other parts of my body. The sensation brought to my attention to the cushy bar stool I sat upon, and the slight bend in my knees. I became aware of a comfortable cold tingle against my long fingers, and gentle warmth around my opposite hand. Along with that warmth was a sensation like fire, hot and fresh, on my other side. It made me feel at ease, but to the extent of which it began to feel unreal.

Finally, I took a deep breath.

_Candles…?_

_No, fire…_ Simple fire.

A calm fire, with the smell of burning leaves.

The aroma washed over me, and before I could think, my eyelids parted.

My left hand held a glass with ice inside, and I internally questioned myself why it had no liquid in it. Without even raising my sluggish gaze, another glass slid towards me and clanked softly against its predecessor. This time it was full of a very light brown fluid as well as numerous cubes of ice. After several moments, I lifted my head completely from my arms, and my eyes were met with the very gentle stare of the bartender; Izumo Kusanagi.

He smiled softly, "You fell asleep after only your first drink… You must have had a tough day."

I met his stare, studying his eyes through the stylish shades that draped over them. I found genuine happiness in them, and a flame that danced in his irises. "Izumo…" I muttered.

His lips broke into another grin, "What, still sleeping?"

_Is this really…_

I felt the warmth around my right hand increase a bit, and I glanced down to see a small, delicate looking white haired girl in the stool next to me; Anna Kushina. She blinked, and her head cocked to the side just a bit. "Elise," she stated. It was more of a whisper; a mere discovery that I was now awake.

I couldn't stop myself from smiling at her, gently squeezing her fingers with mine, "Hello, cute Anna."

She blessed me with a smile of her own, turning towards Izumo and taking a drink of what looked to be a small glass of tea.

_Is this… real…?_

"You're alive."

That voice… I felt its low rumble more than I heard its deep hum, and it soothed me immensely. For some reason, in the back of my mind, I was elated to hear that sound; the sound of _his_ voice.

The Red King.

Our King.

_My_ King…

Mikoto Suoh.

My eyelids perked open at the realization of the emotions sparked by my sudden awareness that he was sitting right next to me, and my head turned quickly to face him. If I had turned any faster, I was sure my neck would have snapped off.

Merely the one side of his face that appeared in front of me was enough for my entire body to finally relax and become immersed in this; this _reality_. I was here. _We_ were here, with our family of Reds.

The single eye showed to me gazed indifferently at my form. His eyes slid shut for a moment as he took a long, deep drag off the cigarette his lips cradled, then they opened and he fully turned to me.

I had been entranced by his presence so deeply for so long that I had forgotten he even said anything. Flustered to the point of annoyance at the slight sparkle of worry in his deep hues, I turned back towards Izumo and took a large, stinging gulp of my liquor. At long last, I finally felt awake.

My gaze slipped over to Mikoto once again, and I smirked, "You think I was dead?"

I noticed his eyes squint slightly, as if he were looking for something. His intense stare faltered, however, when a very slight smile of his own seemed to wash the worry from every muscle in his face; a strange look for the Red King.

"I can't die until after my second glass of this water of heaven—at least!" I slurred my words, exhaustion taking a small toll on my speech, but I grinned anyway. Izumo nodded and chuckled at my next large gulp of alcohol.

Suddenly another source of warmth encased my shoulders, and I felt the presence of a close friend at my side, between me and Anna.

"Now, now Elise… Don't drink so much," the man teased. I tilted my head to the side and noticed a pair of gentle eyes, and a friendly, loving face. This one, too…

_He's really here, right next to me…_

The man no one could ever find a reason to dislike in any manner, even if they tried. He loved everyone equally, and we all loved him as much as a family possibly could; Tatara Totsuka. He could fill a room with happiness and warmth just by stepping in and giving a tender smile.

_Yet, he was sh—_

My body cringed suddenly, but I held a grin, lightly flicking the kindhearted Tatara in the forehead. "Children don't need to worry about the activities of adults."

He pulled back and playfully ruffled my hair, "C'mon, you're only just a few years my senior, gimme a break."

Nothing could have broken my joyous smile at that moment. I was here, with my family…

Before I could retort to Tatara's teasing, Anna opened her mouth and began to sing a quiet song.

"**Gently, I place a white veil…**"

It felt as if time had stopped, her uncharacteristic verses ringing and echoing in my head.

"… **over the red, burning and proud flame.**"

I squeezed her hand lightly in an attempt to make her stop; to close her damn mouth. Why was I getting so angry? I had never been upset with Anna.

"**Everyone will be left alone someday…**"

Before I could attempt again to quiet her, the coldness of my drink was replaced by what seemed to be a flame. It enveloped my hand entirely, and it took me the full length of many miserable seconds to realize that it was Mikoto's.

"… **to engrave it in our memories, so deep that it hurts.**"

The Red King's calloused fingers pressed into my smooth, feminine skin with a certain dominant gentleness I had no idea he possessed. I turned slowly to glance at him, and noticed that he was still facing straight ahead, glaring intensely—thoughtfully—down at the bar counter.

"**This white world—that was all there was…**"

Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Izumo bow deeply to the King, only to rise and slowly walk away with what looked like sorrow hidden behind his dark shades.

"… **until the first color that tied everything together.**"

"W-Wait! Izumo… where are you going? What's going on?" I frantically threw questions at Izumo's back, even as he stalked away, unhindered by my words. Soon, he was out of my sight, making his way to the second floor.

"**Thinking back to that day, we swore a firm oath; I let my thoughts run free…**"

An uncomfortable amount of anxiety began to rise in the depths of my stomach, and in a desperate attempt to escape it, I stood and darted towards the stairs.

"**... Prayers high in the sky, our bonds are beyond zero.**"

I was unable to get very far; Mikoto's unrelenting grasp on my hand caused me to be painfully pulled backwards, towards the essence of my rising nervousness. His eyes finally rose from the counter to meet mine as his form protectively towered over me, despite the fact that I was now standing.

"**Here, after understanding the meaning of life, the meaning of parting, and the meaning of endings…**"

Anna's singing started to sink in, and my eyesight became slightly blurred from trapped tears. I shook my head and glanced desperately over to where Tatara had been standing just a few minutes ago.

"… **we finally come to know Loss Rest Remembrance.**"

My free hand flew to my mouth when I saw him. Even though his face still retained its gentleness, as well as that beautiful smile, there was an obvious and almost disturbing sign of pain straining his features. A large pool of red slowly appeared in my peripheral vision, and my eyes instinctively darted to Tatara's stomach. I choked loudly on my coming tears, and soon they were raining down from my eyes as I remembered; _that's where... he was shot… He's dead..._ Tatara's loving smile only widened, his bloody thumb reaching out to weakly brush my cheek.

"Hey.. don't sweat it… Elise..."

"Tatara!" I screamed, abandoning Anna's hand to reach out for him, only to find that he vanished into bright red flames, licking at the flesh of my outreached arm.

"**Thinking back to the day we swore a firm oath, I let my thoughts run free…**"

The entirety of my surroundings was suddenly enveloped by this colorful flame. Anna was gone as well, though her song still echoed through the dancing fire. It seemed as though many other voices I recognized as Reds joined her, as if they all were playing some cruel joke on me.

"… **Prayers high in the sky, our bonds are beyond zero**."

Through my foggy tears, I finally looked up into Mikoto's eyes. They looked so gentle… so apologetic. So _tired_.

"Elise…" he mumbled. Something about his voice made more tears spill their way from my eyes. "You… You need to let go." My eyes widened when he hesitated, but squinted once again when I grimaced at the appearance of new salty tears. They slipped down my face and sizzled into the burning surface beneath us. No matter how much I wanted to look away from the man before me, I could not tear my gaze from his determined eyes.

"**Remain within this body forever, as long as our blood runs crimson…**"

Once again, I choked, hiccuping pathetically at the empty presence of my King, "Mikoto, I d-don't… I don't want you to leave." His eyebrows creased in the center as I spoke, something like regret lingering in his eyes. "I-I'm not… _We're_ not ready for a new King. You're th-the best… we could have asked for…"

"… **Please let the bottom of our hearts be home to pride passed down, and that love.**"

A mix of emotions crossed his gaze, and he very slowly stepped closer to me. Eventually I could feel his flame-like breath grazing my face. Even through the redness of my face from the amount of crying I had done thus far, a small blush exposed itself atop my cheeks. His hands lifted and landed on my shoulders, firmly holding them as his gaze pierced deep into my own.

"I've decided…" he practically whispered.

"**And now, it calms…**"

"Elise," Mikoto firmly stated my name, causing my tears to slow to a halt. "You will be the Red King."

His words took far too long for me to comprehend, and soon enough my eyes went wide and my mouth gaped open. "Wh-What, but… what? No, you'll always be—"

I was quickly interrupted by the hot, alien feeling of my King's lips upon my own.

_Isn't this a dream…? Why is it so vivid…?_

It was as if I could feel my consciousness begin to slip when Mikoto's grip on my shoulders pulled me only closer, and his arms enveloped my back in a vice grip that could have broken me if he wished it. My eyes hesitantly closed, relishing this moment as much as I possibly could. This dream could be over at any second.

"**Gone, he has gone, now…**"

I felt the Red King's lips stretch into a soft smile against my own quivering mouth, and he soon parted from me, staring deeply once more into my emotionally transparent eyes. I saw a quick flash of red; his hair passed me and I felt a tingle at the side of my neck. It suddenly felt uncomfortable, but then pleasurable. I couldn't hold back a sigh, as his lips seemed to be working a hickey into my skin. My fingers gripped at his arms, but he was already finished.

"...**with the offering of this song, gone…**"

Mikoto's large hands found my shoulders once again, pushing me back slightly only to smirk at my flushed cheeks. It was replaced by his usual frown, however, when he finally opened his mouth to speak once again.

"I gave you a permanent mark… a sign of your power, and…." He cut himself off to lift his hands to my face, still staring very deep within my eyes, as if the essence of my soul was there. His palms pressed against my cheeks, "…my trust in you."

Finally finding my voice between the distractions of this very firm yet strangely gentle Mikoto, I clutched one of his hands in mine. "What do you want me to do?" My voice sounded strained, but I, unyielding, listened to his wishes for me.

"Burn them…" he breathlessly whispered. "Burn everyone who slights HOMRA. Protect them… for me."

I should have known this man better than to simply give orders. I grinned at the memories of him questioning why he was even a King, and refusing to willingly become a leader of any kind. He simply was kind to those who needed it, whether they noticed it or not, and gave them a family; people to care for and rely on.

"**He has gone.**"

_That verse… no… no!_

"Mikoto!" I yelled suddenly, grabbing onto his arms as tightly as I could. As if I were holding them back for days, my tears began to once again spill down my face at a ridiculous pace.

Mikoto roughly pushed my arms away and practically jumped against me with a grunt, enveloping me in his arms as I pressed hard against his chest. As soon as he established a firm enough hold, blazes of fire spat and cackled around us. I glanced around in fear until I realized they were coming from his body. I started to feel a strange sensation as my body absorbed the fire he let off, but embers still grew and enveloped us as a whole. My tears absent-mindedly spilled against the flames, hissing into vapor. All I wanted to feel was Mikoto's embrace.

Soon, however, my consciousness began to fade, as well as the feeling of Mikoto's fire. I quivered in utter sorrow, gripping onto him as desperately as I could, as if I could bring him from my dream back to the real world. It was a meaningless effort, however. No matter how hard I tried to keep my eyes open, keep my awareness in _this_ reality, my senses eventually died away. I then felt the way I did as this dream began; lost, confused, _alone_.

* * *

After what felt like an eternity, I awoke again.

This time, however, I was immediately aware of everything. I heard my own gasps and chokes echo through the room as I glanced around with wide eyes, having lifted my head with a start at the time of my waking. I was in the same place I was in my dream; sitting in my usual stool in Izumo's bar.

I glanced down at the counter in front of me to see five empty glasses of what I assumed to be previously filled with liquor.

_Did I… Did I drink that much?_

I sighed, suddenly feeling very tired. It didn't feel like I had slept at all. Everything in my dream was still so fresh… I could still feel the warmth from Mikoto's embrace and… his lips…

Before I could think anymore, I noticed movement at my side, and I turned to see the glistening of blonde hair. My last few senses finally came to me once again, and I could feel the warmth of someone snuggled against me. The barstool to my right was closer than usual, and this person had their arms loosely wrapped around my waist. Glancing at the counter once again, I spotted Izumo's shades in front of us.

My left hand rose to lightly move his hair from his face, "Izumo…"

Not a word.

Leaning forward slightly, I could just see the peaceful look on his sleeping face. It brought a warm smile to my lips, though not quite enough for it to meet my eyes. I felt very sad… very lonely at the loss of Mikoto, even after months of being without him. We lost our King; my… my love…

Another sigh made it out between my slightly parted lips, and finally the blonde man beside me began to stir. My eyes shifted to a nearby clock—3:34am—before they moved back to Izumo's tired looking face.

"Elise…?" the man grumbled. His head slowly lifted from my shoulder to glance at me with slightly reddened eyes, his eyebrows creased with worry.

I frowned at his distressed appearance, but managed to turn it into a small, mocking grin, "Good morning, sleepyhead… You look awful."

Izumo rubbed relentlessly at his eyes and blinked, finally sitting up in his stool, but keeping an arm hooked around my back. "Yeah, but it's your fault," he mumbled, gazing into my eyes. "You fell asleep about 4 hours ago, but wouldn't stop yelling for…"

His words suddenly faded into an inaudible whisper. Izumo seemed to be flustered for some reason, which I couldn't bring myself to believe. He is always so composed…

"… for Mikoto," he finished quietly, staring hard at the counter for several seconds. I grimaced and held back the sorrow that wished so deeply to escape from my eyes. Izumo switched his gaze back to me and his arm around my waist tightened considerably, "We were trying to wake you up, but your eyes stayed shut tight. I guess I fell asleep here trying to comfort you, haha…" His attempt at a laugh was very dry and emotionless.

Izumo gestured behind us, over to the sofa. Upon it were Misaki Yata and Anna, cuddled up underneath a blanket Izumo must have covered them with. They seemed to be sleeping very deeply.

"Those two were especially worried about you," he said quietly, earning an apologetic gulp from my dry throat.

Izumo turned back to face me, even though my eyes lingered on the younger ones for a bit longer. I suddenly felt cold fingers against the side of my neck; on the exact spot Mikoto marked me in my dream. I darted away from his touch in remembrance of those events, but glanced at him apologetically, "Sorry, you just… frightened me with your freezing cold-ass fingers." I smirked lightly, though it came naturally this time. My memories of Mikoto's final goodbye in my dream seemed to sooth me.

Izumo's eyes were widened in surprise by the time I looked at him, and my eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "What?" I asked softly. He only reached out again, his fingers brushing the same spot as his other hand turned my head to the side.

"How did you… why is this here? Why do you still have the insignia…?" His next touch to it caused a sizzling-like sound, and his hand darted back like lightning.

"Insignia?" I blurted, utter confusion settling in my voice, "What in the world are you talking about?"

Izumo's eyes narrowed in deep thought before he encased one of my hands completely between both of his. I raised an eyebrow and frowned instantly, "Your hands are fucking freezing, Izumo. Shit." I attempted to pull myself away from his grasp, but he persisted and held on tight.

"No, Elise," he said sternly, "You're just extremely warm."

I blinked several times before his words finally sunk in. I ripped my hand from his hold and squinted at him, leaning in towards his face slightly, "… Are… are you hitting on me, Izumo Kusanagi?"

He glanced up at me with a bored expression, and suddenly started chuckling. I was glad I could make him laugh. He seemed to be a bit disgruntled. His steady laughs produced a genuine smile on my face; finally.

A small grunt was heard behind us, and Izumo glanced over to Yata and Anna with a smile, "Looks like we woke the kids." It seemed as if the 'insignia' issue vanished.

Anna lifted her head from Yata's shoulder and yawned. Her large eyes opened and she glanced around the room, then to me.

Izumo stood and approached her, patting her on the head, "It's still very late, Anna. You should go upstairs and sleep in your bed." His eyes then shifted to Yata, still quite nonresponsive, "You too, Yata."

I was seconds from standing and approaching Anna and Yata to apologize for worrying them when Anna ran to me with her eyes and mouth gaping open. Izumo's gaze followed her curiously, eyebrows raised.

"Red!"

An entirely new mood entered the room with that one, simple word Anna spoke.

Yata's eyes widened suddenly as he seemed to wake up at the sound of her voice, and he shot a hard, deep stare at me. He jumped to his feet and hurried to stand next to Anna. His eyes traced over my face as if he didn't believe I was there standing in front of him.

"A-Anna…" Yata stuttered, "Is she really… Is she red?!"

I glanced down at the small girl, surprised at her single word as well. We all lost our Red Aura when Mikoto—as the Red King—passed away. It was impossible that anyone would have powers like that until the new Red King was chosen. Unless….

"Red King!" Anna chirped, grabbing at my shirt with her arms fully extended, "Beautiful red…"

I gulped at her words, suddenly feeling extremely nervous. My wavering gaze took me to Izumo, who looked just as confused as I was. "Elise, the Red King…" he mumbled, staring at something that seemed to be far off in the distance. When he noticed my eyes, he grinned and nodded, approaching me and pushing my hair out of my face. "Red Queen, Elise."

His words seemed to light a fire deep within my body, one I felt I had no control over. It was comfortable, however. I trusted this fire—for some reason—and I decided to let it out.

I closed my eyes momentarily, and my body steadily became extremely warm. But this warmth… it felt just like Mikoto. I felt his flames gently caressing my arms, around my body; it was everywhere. He must have given me this… This way I can never forget him.

I'll always have his fire in my heart.

When I finally opened my eyes from my deep thoughts, I could see flames dancing slowly from my body, seemingly embracing Yata, Anna, and Izumo. They all had peaceful smiles on their face, eyes closed as if receiving an embrace from an old friend.

Their expressions brought newfound resolve to my life.

I won't mourn Mikoto's death any longer.

I will strengthen HOMRA like never before, and bring respect to our Red family.

And I will burn…

…_all_ those who slighted the Red King.


	2. Funeral

**Two Months Earlier**

_I don't remember how I got here._

_When did I even get here?_

_Why am I here?_

_Where is this?_

All of HOMRA currently stood idly in the crater Mikoto created in his engagement with the Silver King just less than an hour ago. I blinked, staring motionlessly at the various snowflakes falling through the cold night sky. The moon shed its weak light upon all of our wet cheeks, tears soaking the ground at our feet.

The past couple of hours have been nothing but a blur; a haze. An illusion. Although, no matter how badly I wished it actually was all just an illusion, the sight before me of the lifeless face belonging to our King betrayed that wish.

His death couldn't have been any more unbelievable than the presence of the blues who stayed a respectful distance away as they, too, sent off their own prayers to the Red King.

Yata was unable to hold back his sobs and whimpers.

Anna tightly gripped the hand of the forever silenced man before her.

Eric was unable to even glance in the direction of Mikoto's body.

Everyone else had their heads lowered in a mix of sorrow and respect.

All except Izumo. One of his arms held me tight against his side, while his opposite hand gripped one of mine. It was trembling only slightly. The tremors of my entire body put his to shame.

I clenched my jaw tight when tears began to involuntarily fall for what must have been the hundredth time that night. An early death awaited not only Tatara, but Mikoto as well.

"Are we to die, too…?" my small voice whispered. Had I even spoken? Did my mouth move? Was my tongue articulating? It was all so numb.

Izumo turned his head to face me in a response I didn't expect. I choked only slightly on my tears, "Ah, sorry I… I didn't realize… I said that out loud."

His expression seemed to hold many things at that moment; sadness, worry, regret, exhaustion, frustration. I subconsciously squeezed his hand as I counted the emotions not normally present upon his features.

A very small, tiresome smile creased his lips. "Elise…" he sighed. Before he could open his mouth again, Anna's weak voice could be heard echoing lightly around us. It was difficult to understand until other voices of those standing closer to her began to join in.

She started our anthem… And now, everyone else eagerly took their part in singing along. Their voices alone sounded so tired and pathetic. But together, as one, they were powerful. A few of the blues behind us turned away, hiding their glistening eyes.

Izumo's voice soon joined the Requiem of Red as he slowly moved forward, pulling me with him. My steps were clumsy and lazy, but we soon made it to the deceased King's side. Anna glimpsed up at us before taking a few steps back.

Izumo looked at me again, placing a hand on my shoulder, "Are you sure you want to watch this, Elise?"

I nodded. I needed to be here for this. We were Mikoto's first close friends. We had to pay him the proper respect. However, from that moment on, time was a massive blur. All I could remember was my view of Mikoto's body being concealed by a growing, flickering red.

And, of course, I will never forget that smell. The smell of my King's flesh disintegrating into ash. It was repulsive. But I could never let myself forget. I let the flames burn the horrid stench into my memory. I could never forget Mikoto.

Izumo must have taken notice of the vacant expression on my face, and escorted me away from the flames. Though we were as far away from the main event as the blues now, that smell never left my senses.

Izumo seemed to relax slightly in relief when I finally lifted my head to look at his face.

"Did you give him a proper farewell?" he asked me gently. Hesitantly, I nodded. But I couldn't help but feel that I needed more closure. He sighed deeply, "Well… I suppose it's time to head back."

I could only nod, not knowing what I should say at a time like this. Even after we lost Tatara, I had no clue in the slightest of how to handle loss like this.

After we retrieved Anna, we began walking up the steep edges of the crater. Upon reaching level-ground, I regained my stature only to be face-to-face with Reisi Munakata, the Blue King. There was an unreadable expression on his face, but something about it pissed me off. This man...really pissed me off. I found myself slowly becoming more furious by the moment in his presence. _He did this... He stabbed Mikoto. He killed Mikoto._ My face must have betrayed my efforts to conceal my anger, as Munakata had taken a few steps away from me in order to grant me room to walk. He said nothing. His eyes showed nothing. His lips remained in a neutral stance. _This man's fucking poker face..._

I glared intensely at him, holding back my urge to lash out and strangle him. I felt Izumo's fingers clamp tightly around my wrist, and I allowed myself to be pulled away without breaking my intense stare at this murderer. I knew that this was not the time nor the place to start a fight, especially with this man. In the split second it took me to turn my head from him to the direction I walked, I just barely noticed Munakata's shoulders release a bit of tension and his eyes slowly closed.

I heard a sadistic whisper as I walked away, "_If looks could kill_, eh..."

I tried my best to ignore it, refusing to even turn and meet this man's eyes. But, being me, I just couldn't resist.

"Close that jaw of yours before I rip the fucking thing off, Saruhiko" I finally glanced over to meet his gaze, and he held the same damn expression Munakata had. I sighed and grimaced, "Man, you guys are really pissing me off..." It still didn't change.

Izumo continued dragging me along, and soon I was forced to look away from Saruhiko Fushimi. At the last second, I heard him chuckle lightly, "_Mean_~"

* * *

It was uncharacteristically silent as Izumo drove me and Anna back to the bar. The remaining clansmen stayed behind to further pay their respects to Mikoto.

Anna kept glancing at me or Izumo and then shaking her head. Her eyebrows creased in the middle. I turned to her in the back seat and softly took one of her hands, "What's wrong, Anna?"

Her head shook again and her small fingers squeezed my hand, "There's no more… No more red."

I pressed my lips together; what the hell was I thinking? I can't comfort her right now, I can't even think straight. Anna seemed to understand my turmoil, and she simply took comfort in the presence of my hand over hers.

"Family."

Izumo's foot seemed to accidentally tap the brakes, and the three of us were flung forward slightly. Anna's single muttered word caused an expression of surprise to open up in his eyes as he stared at the road ahead of him.

Anna continued, "We are all family… Everyone will still be together."

This child…seemed much more mature than her age. It was as if we forgot that everyone in HOMRA was essentially family. Our leader may have passed away…but that doesn't separate us; nothing's over.

I nodded subconsciously, and Anna mimicked me with perfection. Izumo, glancing in the rear-view mirror, chuckled lightly, "Anna, you're making an old man like me feel pretty young right now."

Anna only smiled in response.

"Wait," I demanded, now completely distracted from the haze of events from the past few hours. "Izumo, are you saying I'm an old woman?!"

The said man finally laughed, his face returning to normal. When he didn't send me a playful jab in return, I quickly returned to my previous state.

What would we do now?

With our powers gone, how could we possibly combat our enemies?

Those powers were surely our trump card...

In the midst of all my worries, one in particular stuck out among the rest. It incessantly clung to my consciousness.

Who would be chosen to become the new Red King?


	3. Elise (Part 1)

**Before I explain this chapter, I'm gonna address some reviews.**

**To the guest who noted his/her issue with Elise's name, I just gave her that name because I felt like it. It wasn't supposed to give any implications of her regional origin. I consider her to have been born and raised in Japan. Sorry for the confusion, but I'm glad you enjoy the story so far. Also, I can't give away my plans for Scepter 4! But, I promise I'll be nice.:)**

**I will save my response to the other reviews for after this chapter, since they may hint of the coming mood.**

**Anyway, I decided to do a little bit of backtracking into the OC here for those interested. This'll last a few chapters at most. I must apologize, however. I may have gone overboard with this one... **

**After this point, consider the bold typing a representation of Elise's present thoughts. She's telling the story, after all. **

**Warning: It's a bit bloody in here.**

* * *

_This story…is one of loss._

**14 Years Ago**

**Young, little Elise…**

**Elise is only twelve years old.**

**She is blind.**

**Rather…someone convinced her blindness was necessary.**

"Oh, my, how much you've grown!"

Some old sounding hag condescendingly rubbed the top of my head. I could sense the unintentionally cruel smile in her words, "What a cute young lady… She is definitely your child, my dear."

'My dear' referenced my mother, standing at my side, gripping my small hand relentlessly. I dared not show my irritation, or my ever present father would punish me in front of all these party-goers.

**Yes, that's right; a ****_party_****. This was a ****_party_**** for the ****_lovely_**** rich ****_parents_**** of mine on their wedding anniversary. Though, I must say, it is incredibly difficult to enjoy when you're blindfolded.**

My fingers unconsciously slipped underneath the cloth over my eyes, only to have my hand sharply smacked away by the very woman who dared to birth a dreadful creature like me. "Say thank you to your grandma, Elise," she growled. I stared straight ahead through the blackness and muttered a spiteful 'thanks'.

The party ended without incident, and I left with an empty stomach per the usual.

**…Was there cake?**

**Hell if I know.**

**Food? Why are you asking me about food? Of course I don't know if there was any food. It's not like I was allowed to eat any of it. Any kind of food aside from the norm at my own home was not allowed anywhere near me, as it might '****_spark my desire to kill'_****, or so my parents say.**

**Yeah, sounds crazy, doesn't it? Well, I'm not exactly a normal person.**

**But I'm still a fucking human being, right? Right?!**

Upon arriving at home, my routine finally went back to normal. My blindfold was removed and I was served every kind of home cooked food imaginable. The maids my parents hired dashed around the dining room, sliding plates of freshly cooked delicacies in front of me on the table.

**What a pathetic waste of food that was… I was fucking twelve! What in the world did they think I was, an elephant?!**

I picked bits and pieces of random foods from each plate and ate until my stomach felt full enough.

Normally I would excuse myself to bed at this time, but being that it was my summer vacation away from elementary school, I decided to distract myself with a small bit of calm reading. That's what I needed; relaxation. I needed silence, or I would be unable to hold back my…

I snatched a random book from the shelf in my room. I inhaled slowly, and exhaled all the air at once. _Another day without incident… Maybe it won't too difficult to be normal._.

**Well, you know, that's what I thought at the time. No matter how mature I seemed, I still had that childish belief in my head that this was already the norm. This is how kids normally lived. But no, this…this ****_ability_****; it was mine and mine alone.**

In the midst of my reading, I heard loud voices from downstairs, and I scrambled my legs over to my bedroom door in order to hear. It turned out only to be another disagreement between my parents. They happened fairly often these days. They fought about money and their jobs, but mostly various things about me. _Why did you birth that thing? How could you impregnate me with that thing?_

I stomped back to my bed in hopes that they would hear my passive protest against their yelling and flopped into bed, flipping open my book to stare at the words.

The volume of their voices only amplified. Drastically.

"_You can't keep hiding the world from her…_"

"_What…? I'm keeping us safe, idiot! She could easily kill us!_"

**Kekeke… yeah, well, I don't wanna brag… but…**

"_You're fucking up her life! Let her have a childhood! You don't even allow her into school without that fucking blindfold!_"

**_Slap_**

**_Scuffle, scuffle…_**

"_Fucking cunt, shut up! I'm protecting you, and you lash out at me?!_"

"_S-Stop—_"

**_Slam!_**

**_Creak…_**

The noise pollution in my ears caused my eyesight to go a bit haywire. The pages of the book before me began to appear with red, flashing cuts. My head throbbed. I shut my eyes tight, only to open them to a more distorted book. I threw it violently to the side and curled up in a ball. _No, no… I can't be seeing this now… I can't control it_.

I attempted to calm myself with a few deep breaths, and slowly pulled my hands away from my face. I gasped sharply when I saw my arms.

As if it was some sort of premonition, I could see the cuts…the injuries I could inflict to cause the most damage to my life. The light over the artery in my wrists flashed the brightest red…that one would end my life. One of my hands reached under my pillow for a weapon I hid there to defend myself in case my parents would ever attempt to harm me again.

**Yeah, that's right! They practically beat the shit out of me sometimes because I just scared them soooooo~ much! It was so entertaining… the fear in their eyes, their tremors of terror…I caused them! They hurt my body because they were terrified of me! Hahahaha!**

I pulled out a long blade; a chef's knife I stole from the kitchen many nights ago.

My head throbbed again, and I became entranced in the red light that surrounded my arms. Before I could impulsively inflict any pain upon myself, my door was burst open.

My mother stood there; face a bloody mess, hair disheveled.

Her breath hitched in her throat before she was able to speak, "G-Get out… Elise, he… he's going to kill you!"

**Kill me… oh~?**

My expression didn't change when my eyes flicked from my mother to the tall man standing behind her. My father's eyes glowered with a murderous intent, but…

**So did mine…**

My attention was brought back to my mother when I heard her scream suddenly, her finger pointed in my direction. "Those… those red eyes…" she choked out. "She… she can see them! Honey…honey, get out! She'll—"

"I'll kill her before she can do a thing!" the man yelled, interrupting the unintelligible stutters of my mother. He advanced forward towards me while pushing that woman out of the way. In his hand he held a similar knife as mine. I slowly stood atop my bed, causing my small body to be taller than his.

I grinned.

His body shook.

After all this manly banter about how he's going to kill me…

_My father is such a pathetic man…_

When he was close enough, he hesitated, but went in for the kill.

**His own daughter… Taking a knife to his own daughter. What a man…**

In a very clumsy manner, his arm swung out towards me, but I nimbly jumped to the side and planted my feet against the wall before springing at him. _I can see… A deep flashing red in his chest-his heart… There are deep slices over his neck; I could also sever the jugular…_ I noticed a dim flickering of red over the knuckles that held his weapon.

_Did he fracture something earlier when he was hitting mother…?_

Instead of going in for a quick death, I slammed the back of my blade into his knuckles. As I expected, he shouted in pain and his weapon dropped to the floor. I could hear my mother muttering something about the devil and demons and Satan. I chuckled while turning my head down to my pathetic father.

"Kill me," I whispered sarcastically, not even lowering myself to look at his face. I noticed his hand attempting to lift his weapon, but he kept cringing back in pain. "Hmm… I must have broken what was already fractured," I nodded while closing my eyes. "Now… I just have to finish this job."

**But wait… Let's do it slowly.**

**Just kidding~ you can't expect a twelve year old to be intelligent ****_and_**** sadistic, right? That wouldn't be very fair.**

I jumped down from my bed and knelt next to my helpless father. Before he could react, I flicked my arm out. My blade sliced through his jugular vein, and the bleeding began. However, I could not see the blood… all I could see was the flashing red that indicated the life he had left. The beating light at his throat began to fade and slow down.

For practically a full couple minutes I stared at my dying father, studying the light that only I could see. It soon faded completely, and the man's life ceased to exist. I frowned and turned to my mother who was collapsed against the wall in front of me. There was a tall mirror just behind her on that wall, and I glanced into it momentarily.

Some of father's blood must have splashed on me when I attacked him. It spattered over my face and my pajamas. It matched the glowing color of my eyes, the red of which indicated that I was not in control of myself.

I glanced down at her again, frowning slightly at her horrified expression. "Mom?"

Her head shook from side to side and her legs were still pushing her backwards against the wall. What a futile attempt to escape…I sighed and slowly advanced towards her.

When I thought I was close enough, I kneeled down before her and stared into her eyes. "Mom, why… Why did I have to be a strain?"

The woman only shuddered and turned her head away. "I-I… I didn't want… th-this…"

I nodded in understanding before leaning forward to gently wrap my arms around her. She tensed suddenly, but relaxed and started sobbing into my neck. "I'm so sorry, Elise… I'm sorry…"

"I know, mom…" I acknowledged, stroking her hair. "I love you, mom."

She whimpered and nodded again, "I love you too, baby."

Before she could reach up and fully embrace me, I pulled away from her.

Around that time, my arm reeled back unexpectedly fast and—

**_Slash_**

Her blood…also soaked the floor.

* * *

**After-story review response!**

**To the guest who complained about how dark it was, I am truly sorry! Sometimes when I get to writing, I get so emotionally involved with the story that some bad things tend to happen... This chapter, however, is the darkest that I had planned so far. From here it should be mostly uphill. Right now we're just going through Elise's past, after all.**

**hishikawa - Thanks for your feedback, I hope you're enjoying it so far. :) She is pretty scary, haha! I wanted to create an interesting character with depth that isn't all butterflies and rainbows like those I tend to see most often.**


	4. Elise (Part 2)

**12 Years Ago**

**This place was…definitely different. I'll give you that right off the bat.**

At this very moment, I sat inside the one place I thought I would never have to fear. I didn't think that in a million years, even if I _had_ to seek shelter here, it would be like this.

My aching, battered body currently leaned against one of the four cement walls trapping me in this tiny room. There were no windows. The only way I could manage to see outside of my 'cell' was if I peeked through the small hole in the massive, thick concrete door containing me here. I could only just fit my small hand through it.

**This sounds like a prison, right? It actually isn't. This place is actually a strain detainment center. While I wasn't being charged for the murders I committed… I was forced to stay here under the so-called ****_protection_**** of the adults who thought they knew what to do with us strains. **

I remember the very first time I stuck my tiny hand through that hole, in a desperate attempt to reach some part of the outside world. Something rough rapped my knuckles and I jerked my arm back with a scream.

"Be a good girl and relax. Just sleep in the corner or something," a voice outside muttered. It was the voice of a jaded, middle-aged woman. I heard her footsteps as she claimed her distance between herself and the massive door that protected her from me.

I glanced down at my trembling hand to see that my skin was broken and I was bleeding in a few different places. _This will surely become infected…_

**Not all of the rooms were like this. Many of the harmless strains were kept in nicer rooms with windows, and even beds. They were fed three times a day and given small forms of entertainment such as books or small toys if they were children. **

**But I killed people… I murdered my parents, and subsequently many of the maids who were curious about the sounds of our skirmish.**

**I was once again being treated as an inhuman ****_thing_****.**

While the rooms that the other strains stayed in were to protect them from the stigmas of the outside world, my room was to protect the outside world from me. This empty, small, suffocating room was meant to imprison the most dangerous of strains…no matter their age.

Hearing a bit of noise from the door, I glanced up from my crouched position on the ground just in time to see a bowl of creamy-looking oatmeal crash onto the floor. The said food splashed everywhere, and soon a small spoon and bottle of water were also dropped in. There was a portion of the upper part of the door that had been opened to give me my meal for the day, and it quickly shut once I had my food.

I stared blankly at the soiled oatmeal on the ground. It was my only source of nourishment, but it always made me gag. The taste and texture were rancid.

For the first time in several emotionless months, I hiccupped suddenly. I could hear the echo bounce many times from wall to wall in my room. Tears dropped from my eyes and soaked into the food that had been thrown at my knees. _Why do I have to live this way…? It's been two years already since I was taken here by my grandma. I want… I want to go home…_

I shoved my face into my hands and cried shamelessly. No matter how much I wanted to go back home, it was impossible. My entire family was terrified of me and my guardians were now gone. I had no where else to go. I would have to be here like this…for the rest of my pathetic life.

Between my sobs and whimpers, I could hear the sound of light footsteps. I grew to dread and be afraid of that sound, but these steps sounded slightly different than what I was accustomed to. They were very fast and somewhat quiet.

As soon as the sound of these new footsteps reached their peak, they were silenced. This person halted in front of the door to my cell. I never expected to hear what I was about to hear.

"Hey… Are you okay? Are you crying?"

The voice sounded so young and innocent… but it was the most beautiful sound I had ever heard. It was gentle, and my tears seemed to stop instantly.

I glanced over at the hole in my door, and I could see someone peeking in slightly. As I crawled closer, their face became clearer, and soon I had my forehead pressed against the cold stone of the door. Just a small distance away from me was the softest, most gorgeous pair of brown eyes I had ever seen. A small bit of light brown hair covered this child's forehead, and a small smile suddenly lit up his features even more so.

"There you go," he said, voice almost a whisper. "Don't cry anymore, okay?"

He couldn't have been any older than ten, and he was taking the time to comfort a monster like me. I sniffled again as new tears filled my eyes; I felt so happy. My room almost seemed brighter at the sight of his young smile.

He chuckled softly and shook his head, "That won't do, you can't be sad."

I heard another voice, an older feminine one, seemingly calling for the boy who was communicating with me. He turned his head for a moment, only to bring his eyes back to me, smile still gracing his small lips.

"What's your name?"

His curiosity seemed to fill my heart, and I felt myself involuntarily smile.

"It's Elise," I choked out. My voice sounded so very unused and hoarse.

The boy nodded, "Elise, that's a pretty name…" He pulled his face away from the hole and managed to stick his hand through, presenting a small, round orange. "I'll come back to see you soon, okay, Elise?"

An 'okay' scrambled its way out of my throat as I reached forward to take the orange from his hand. Before I could pull it away, he took my wrist gently in his palm and squeezed it lightly. "I'll come back," he affirmed.

I nodded, sudden excitement bringing energy to my body, "I'll be here!"

I saw one last smile before he pulled away and followed who I assumed to be his mother away from the hall.

My eyes fell to the orange in my hand, and I hugged it to my chest in pure happiness. _My first friend… Someone who likes me. Ah…_ I peeled the orange with my filthy fingernails and ate the slices with haste. I suddenly felt very hungry as I ate the sweet, juicy fruit, and I ended up also eating the peels afterwards. In the past two years, that small orange had been the most fulfilling thing I'd eaten.

Even when it was gone, and the presence of the boy completely vanished, my memories of him made me feel almost giddy. I wanted him to come back. I wished that I could give him something in return.

My eyes wandered down to my battered body, and the only thing I possessed was a ripped, dirty, pale dress that met my knees. I shook my head and sighed; I had nothing to give him.

My mind suddenly bounced to the thought of my appearance. I wonder if I offended him at all. I hadn't seen my reflection in so long. I imagined my long black hair to be knotted up in countless areas, my eyes burning red from my uncontrollable powers as a strain.

I gasped suddenly, a terrifying thought entering the confines of my brain. _My powers…I couldn't see his death. _

**In case this is too confusing, my power of being a strain allows me to see how to kill someone. It could be said that I can see death, but it can also be said that I can see life. The red cuts of light that only I can see on someone's body indicates how strong their life force in that area is. The brighter they glow, the more likely they are to die from an injury to that area. **

I lay back onto the rough floor beneath me and stared thoughtfully at the ceiling. _Maybe I'm getting better at controlling these powers… Maybe I can leave here soon._

* * *

**Two Years Later**

Unfortunately, my thoughts of being released were not fulfilled, and I stayed in this cell for another two whole years. They seemed to pass by much more quickly than the previous two years, however, as the lovely brown-eyed boy continued to visit me at least one time a week. We spoke briefly before he handed me an orange and took his leave.

I asked him many questions during his short visits, but he wouldn't have it. He seemed to only worry about me and how I was doing, and he only had enough time in a visit to make sure I was still holding up.

**I still didn't even know what his name was, for fucks sake!**

He only ever answered my question about the oranges, and his answer was a slight surprise to me.

"_Ah yeah, the oranges_," _he said, laughing softly. "An adult here gave me one while we were visiting someone, and you seemed so happy when I handed it to you that I just decided to keep bringing them."_

It could be said that his occasional presence was the only thing keeping me sane in this extensive period of isolation. Anyone would go crazy being kept in here as long as I had been. I was surprised that I could even say that despite my living conditions and where I was, this was the happiest I had ever been in my life. He was the first and only person I felt I could trust.

Fortunately, today was the day that I got to see him again.

His young face popped up over the hole that I approached as soon as I heard his familiar footsteps. It seemed that he had to bend his knees slightly to be able to see through the hole now; he had grown taller.

"Hello, little Elise~" he sang, cheerfully. I greeted him with a silent, genuine smile, and his eyes seemed to sparkle when he saw it. "You seem happy, I'm glad."

For some reason, the boy seemed a bit distant today, and the feeling pried me to ask why. Before I could, he seemed to read the question through my eyes, and he suddenly put on this serious expression that I was unfamiliar with.

"Elise, today…" he whispered, glancing around the hall a bit before pressing his forehead back against the wall to stare deep into my eyes. "Today, you're gonna leave here."

I gasped involuntarily, but his hand shot in through the hole and covered my mouth. _Ah, so warm…_ My eyes closed as my body immediately relaxed at his touch. He chuckled nervously and patted my cheek, "You have to be quiet about it, okay? The adults will get suspicious if they hear us."

I nodded obediently, and he pulled his hand back only to pass an orange through the hole. I took it and eagerly began eating it. His sweet smile appeared once again, "This door is unlocked."

Before I could show him my surprise, he spoke again, "But… you can't open it until it's really dark, okay? The adults all go home at night while you guys are resting."

My eyes nervously peered into his, still munching on my orange.

"When you leave this room, turn right and follow the hall down. There's a door at the very end that you should be able to easily destroy with your power."

_Use my power…to destroy an inanimate object? I wonder if I can do that…_

He reached through and gently took one of my hands, squeezing it into his palm, "I know you told me that you've only hurt people with your power, but… I think it should work this way, too."

I glanced down to the fingers of his that caressed over the dirty skin of my hand, "I-I don't know…"

His grip tightened suddenly and I lifted my gaze to see that enchanting grin, "Don't sweat it, Elise. It'll all work out somehow."

Those words somehow made me believe in him.

His warmth pulled away from my hand and soon he was taking his leave, giving the words 'I'll see you on the outside' before he was gone.

As soon as he left, my thoughts began to run free once again, and I felt a staggering amount of anxiety. What if I got caught doing this? What if I get out and I get arrested? What if I get thrown into an actual prison? Would it be much worse than this?

I almost resigned myself to not following through with the boy's plan before I remembered the words he left me with.

_"I'll see you on the outside."_

He was expecting to see me tonight. He was expecting me to trust him; to follow through with his dangerous plan.

I sighed and lowered my eyes to the ground. I had finished my orange but the taste still lingered in my mouth. I wondered if he would stop coming to see me if I didn't go through with this.

Finding the lack of oranges more horrifying than potentially being sent to a worse prison, I impulsively decided to follow his idea.


End file.
